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Mandatory in Maryland: Food Allergy Awareness

A senate bill was passed on January 23rd, 2014 in Maryland that mandates all commercial kitchens to have allergy awareness training . Beginning March 1st, 2015, it will be mandatory for food establishments in Maryland to have one employee on the premises at all times who have completed a food allergen awareness training course and passes an accredited test approved by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Of those individuals who have gone through training, one employee must be available to discuss meal options with customers who have food allergies during food service hours.

In addition to allergy awareness training, every establishment will also be required to request that a customer with food allergies inform the staff of their allergies. Food establishments will have two options when requesting allergy information from customers. The first option is for the establishment to place a clearly written request on either a menu or a board. The second option is for the server to request any possible allergies their guests may have. By implementing these laws, food establishments are now held accountable for the safety of their customers.

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